Director Will Robson-Scott and Protein TV have teamed to present Chi Raq - a short documentary that delivers a decisive blow with an intimate and slightly graphic look at the youth driven violence plaguing the Chicago area. The film places a microscope on the unrest affecting families residing on Chicago's South and West sides. Though responsibility for a homicide rate comparable to that of an Afghan war zone may rest with some neighborhoods more than others, the larger issue seems to be the popularity of gunplay across the city - a phenomenon that has taken the idea of playing with fire from dangerous novelty to brazen bloodsport. The kids featured in the documentary - all of whom seem much older than their physical ages - are particularly adept at bringing the gravity of the situation home. The city's history of violence has combined with decades of gang culture, bleak socio-economic conditions, lack of recreational outlets and provocative lyrics to create a hotbed of crime dominated by life-threatening activity. The lives affected and lost are highlighted in the short black & white film whose subjects jump from the screen as though the footage is playing in 3-dimensional color. Check the clip below to view Will Robson-Scott's Chi Raq documentary. Read more about Chi Raq at Protein TV.
